I have absolutely no problem with offering the vegetarian lunches. It would be nice to have an option for omnivores, however.

Back in the dark ages when I went to public school, I clearly remember the meatless Fridays forced upon us by a certain Rome based religion. As an infidel, I didn't think that was cool at all.

I certainly have no problem with that, but it would be nice to have something with meat one or two days a week.Back in the dark ages when I was going to a Catholic school and being raised a Catholic, and achieved a mature age of 10 or 11, I became dubious about all the rules one was expected to live by. I made up my own mind, did what was right for me. Never could understand the meatless Friday thing, and never obeyed.

Karen/NoCA wrote:...Never could understand the meatless Friday thing, and never obeyed.

Bite your tongue! One interesting thing about all that - in Buffalo, a city with a large Catholic heritage (Irish, Polish, Italian), Friday Fish Fries are still very popular in many of the local taverns and restaurants - usually beer-batter haddock, but some places offer yellow pike or perch, from Lake Erie. I usually have at least one per month.

If the school I had gone to had tried to go all vegetarian, it would have been a huge waste of money. In elementary and middle school lots of food was thrown out by kids that would not eat it. They either went without or more likely brought in candy to fill the calorie void. In high school, there was more leeway with bringing in food from outside or eating out of the vending machine. Fewer students actually purchased school lunches. It's been quite a long time but my faulty memory thinks it was roughly half of my circle of friends that actually bought the school lunch in High School. More for pizza day. If it was all Veg, it would probably have been even less. Not sure if the school has to prepare enough food every day to feed every student or if they adjust quantities based on actual consumption patterns.

I applaud trying to improve health but that only works if the kids will eat it. Give them healthier options of the food they want to eat (as long as they still taste good). this is probably about the best any school can do if it attempts to promote healthier eating for the whole school.

Karen/NoCA wrote:...Never could understand the meatless Friday thing, and never obeyed.

Bite your tongue! One interesting thing about all that - in Buffalo, a city with a large Catholic heritage (Irish, Polish, Italian), Friday Fish Fries are still very popular in many of the local taverns and restaurants - usually beer-batter haddock, but some places offer yellow pike or perch, from Lake Erie. I usually have at least one per month.

Howie - When we go back to Green Bay to visit my wife's family, my wife absolutely requires that we spend at least one Friday there. This is so we can go out for fried perch and brandy Manhattans. I'm pretty sure that if we lived there (or in Buffalo) we'd never eat at home on a Friday night.

Karen/NoCA wrote:...Never could understand the meatless Friday thing, and never obeyed.

Bite your tongue! One interesting thing about all that - in Buffalo, a city with a large Catholic heritage (Irish, Polish, Italian), Friday Fish Fries are still very popular in many of the local taverns and restaurants - usually beer-batter haddock, but some places offer yellow pike or perch, from Lake Erie. I usually have at least one per month.

Hey, I have nothing against meatless...it is the "force" that came with it when I was young and being told I would to hell if I disobeyed. The priests and nuns at the school I attended in the small town of Eureka, were not very nice. I still remember sitting in a classroom and the sister giving a lecture to us innocent children. She told us if we disobeyed the laws of the church, when it came time for the lord to come down and take his chosen, we would not be chosen. I had visions of angels flying down and grabbing everyone but me. I just knew that was wrong. After all, children are not in control if they eat meat or not on Friday.....how can they be judged for that?

Karen/NoCA wrote: She told us if we disobeyed the laws of the church, when it came time for the lord to come down and take his chosen, we would not be chosen. I had visions of angels flying down and grabbing everyone but me. I just knew that was wrong. After all, children are not in control if they eat meat or not on Friday.....how can they be judged for that?

Don't you love what religion does for you as a child? I single-handedly fended off Armageddon which was supposed to come, according to our translation of Ezekiel, "in the night when no man is watching". I was only a little girl, but I figured if I was watching God couldn't do it. I would stay on watch all night! If you ever have a chance to see a play called Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, don't miss it. You'll die laughing!

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Okay, since we've morphed into a different subject, lemme tell y'all about my stint in NYC Catholic schools. My father was Roman Catholic, my Mom was not. So when it was time to enroll me in school, it was decided that I would attend the local catholic school down the block.

I don't remember this, but it is often retold by my Mom, so it must be true. When I came home from my very first day in school, I repeated what the nuns had told us. "Mom, you're going to hell because you're not catholic"